Why There Is a Constant Disconnect Between Biopharma Marketing and Sales

In the biopharma industry, aligning marketing strategies with sales execution is crucial yet challenging. This disconnect often stems from CRM system limitations, training gaps, data management issues, and rapidly changing market dynamics. Understanding these challenges is key to developing cohesive strategies. This article explores these critical areas, examining how Gridlex's Biopharma CRM addresses each concern, offering innovative solutions to harmonize marketing efforts with sales activities, and ensuring effective and coherent commercial operations in the biopharma sector.

These articles are part of the Gridlex Weekly Newsletter focused on Biopharma technology, analytics, and operational topics. Please email gridlexnewsletter@gridlex21.com to join this newsletter and receive updates (not more than once per week).

 

1. What Marketing Sets as Priority is not followed by Sales

Imagine a biopharma company, Acme, launches a new cardiovascular drug with superior efficacy data. Marketing identifies cardiologists in large metropolitan areas as the primary target due to the higher prevalence of cardiovascular issues. Despite the clear directive and provided lists, sales reps continue focusing on their existing contacts, primarily general practitioners in smaller towns, due to the CRM's inability to highlight and prioritize new targets effectively.

 

Root Cause: Technology Limitations in CRM

At the heart of this issue lies the challenge of defining target and priority lists in the CRM. Marketing teams meticulously craft strategies and identify key targets based on sophisticated analytics. However, this valuable insight often gets lost in translation due to the technological limitations of traditional CRM systems. These systems, while robust in data storage, fall short in translating complex analytical outputs into simplified, actionable directives for sales representatives. The result? Sales teams are often left navigating without a compass, unaware of or unable to act upon the strategic priorities set by marketing.

 

How Gridlex's Biopharma CRM Addresses This Gap
 

• Optimized User Experience: As detailed in “2 Reasons Analytics Doesn't Make it to Biopharma Sales Reps"​​, Gridlex's CRM revolutionizes the user experience by providing sales reps with straightforward, action-ready lists and paired talking points.
   

• Effective Decoding of Complex Analytics: The CRM interface transforms complex analytics into a clear set of priorities, enabling sales representatives to easily identify their next actionable steps.
   

• Access to Tailored Target Lists: Sales reps gain access to tailored target lists, which clearly define whom to contact, aligning their activities with the marketing team's strategy.
   

• Context-Specific Talking Points: The CRM equips sales reps with talking points that are relevant to their specific contexts, bridging the gap between having data and effectively using it in sales conversations.
   

• Alignment with Marketing Strategies: This integration leads to a powerful alignment of sales actions with marketing strategies, ensuring that sales reps are actively engaging in a coherent, data-informed, and result-oriented manner.
   

• Strategic Vision Internalization: Sales representatives not only follow directives but also understand and internalize the strategic vision set by marketing, thanks to the clear articulation and accessibility of these insights through the CRM.

 

2. Idealized Marketing Messaging Not Carried Forward by Sales at the Moment of Interaction

At Biopharm Inc., a compelling narrative is crafted around a new diabetes medication, emphasizing its unique ability to improve long-term patient outcomes with fewer side effects. However, when the sales team engages with healthcare professionals, they fail to communicate these specific benefits. Instead, they revert to generic discussions about drug pricing and dosage, not the patient-centric advantages that marketing meticulously strategized, leading to a missed opportunity to truly differentiate the medication in a crowded market.

 

Root Cause: Training Gap in Translating Marketing Messaging

The core issue here lies in the gap between the detailed marketing strategies and the on-ground execution by sales representatives. While marketing teams develop comprehensive messaging focused on the distinct advantages of products, sales reps often struggle to convey these messages effectively. This challenge is partly due to the inadequacy of training and support materials that bridge the gap between high-level marketing concepts and their practical application in sales scenarios.

 

How Gridlex’s CRM Integrates Sales Prompts and Training
 

• Context-Sensitive Talking Points and Checklists: As explored in "Call Recording Forms In Biopharma CRMs Could Do So Much More"​​, Gridlex's CRM embeds sales prompts directly into activity recording pages. This feature provides sales reps with relevant talking points that align with current marketing strategies.
   

• Real-Time Coaching System: Transforms traditional call recording forms into dynamic coaching tools. This approach equips sales representatives with the necessary guidance to effectively communicate marketing messages during their interactions.
   

• Bridging Knowledge Gaps: The CRM ensures that sales reps are not just informed but prepared to engage in meaningful dialogues. It supports them in articulating marketing messages accurately and effectively, turning them into strategic partners in conveying the marketing team's vision.
   

• Enhancing Sales Interaction: By providing key points and questions related to marketing campaigns, the CRM empowers sales reps to confidently discuss product features, such as a new drug's efficacy, mirroring the marketing team's focus and efforts.
   

• Empowering Sales Representatives: The integration of these elements empowers sales reps to deliver marketing messages consistently and effectively in every interaction, fostering better engagement and potential sales success.

 

3. Data Pollution and Master Data Management Issues

Consider PharmaCorp, which believes that Dr. Greene, a high-prescribing oncologist, is based at City Hospital based on their CRM data. In reality, Dr. Greene has moved to a larger cancer research center six months ago. The outdated and unmerged data in the CRM leads sales reps to continue their outreach to City Hospital, while the new, potentially more lucrative opportunities at the research center remain untapped. This scenario highlights the critical impact of data pollution and poor master data management on efficient and targeted sales strategies.

 

Root Cause: Data Pollution and MDM Challenges

Data pollution includes inaccuracies, redundancies, and errors in the CRM system, which can significantly disrupt the flow of information and decision-making processes. For example, if a physician is incorrectly aligned in the CRM or if accounts are not properly merged, it can lead to incorrect targeting, miscommunication, and ultimately, inefficiencies in sales and marketing efforts.

 

How Gridlex's Unified Platform Addresses Data Pollution and MDM Issues
 

• Robust Data Management: Ensures that all physician data and account details are accurately captured and maintained in the CRM, minimizing the risk of data pollution.
   

• Soft and Hard Merge Capabilities: As outlined in the article about the impacts of biopharma soft and hard merge, Gridlex's CRM offers sophisticated merging options. Soft merges allow for temporary or conditional data consolidation, while hard merges permanently unify records, ensuring data integrity and consistency.
   

• Customizable Data Fields: The CRM is designed to accommodate unique data requirements and changes, ensuring flexibility in managing physician information and account details.
   

• Real-Time Data Synchronization: Gridlex's CRM system ensures that any updates or changes in the database are reflected across all platforms in real-time, keeping all stakeholders on the same page.
   

• Advanced Analytics and Reporting: By integrating clean and reliable data, Gridlex's CRM enhances the accuracy of analytics and reporting, enabling more precise targeting and decision-making.

 

4. Quickly Changing Market Dynamics

Imagine MediPharm's sales strategy for its asthma medication is disrupted when a competitor releases a groundbreaking treatment. The CRM, however, fails to quickly reflect these market changes. As a result, sales representatives, unaware of the new competitive landscape, continue with the outdated approach. This lack of agility in adapting to market shifts leads to ineffective conversations with physicians, declining interest, and ultimately a loss in market share.

 

Challenge: Difficulty in Adapting to Market Changes

Traditional CRM systems often lack the necessary agility to promptly reflect market changes, resulting in sales representatives working with outdated or irrelevant information. This disconnect can lead to missed opportunities, misaligned strategies, and a failure to capitalize on market trends. The key challenge is ensuring that sales strategies remain flexible and responsive to the rapidly changing market landscape.

 

Solution: Flexibility and Quick Adaptation with Gridlex's CRM
 

• Real-Time Market Dynamics Integration: Gridlex’s CRM system is designed to quickly assimilate and reflect changes in the market, from new pharmaceutical products to shifts in healthcare policies. This ensures that sales representatives have access to the latest market insights and can adapt their strategies accordingly.
   

• User-Friendly and Adaptable Interface: The CRM's user-friendly interface allows for swift adaptation to new data inputs. Sales reps can easily navigate and understand these changes, reducing the time needed to acclimate to new information and strategies.
   

• Seamless Update Mechanism: Gridlex’s CRM ensures that any new data or market insights are seamlessly updated in the system. This integration keeps the sales team abreast of the latest developments, ensuring their actions are both relevant and effective.
   

• Strategic Alignment with Market Trends: The CRM's ability to rapidly integrate market changes ensures that sales strategies are always in sync with the latest marketing insights. This alignment is crucial for maintaining the effectiveness of sales efforts in a competitive market.
   

• Enhanced Decision-Making with Current Data: With Gridlex's CRM, sales representatives are equipped with up-to-date market information, enabling them to make informed decisions and tailor their approaches to meet the current market demands.
   

5. Marketing Campaigns Not Integrated with Sales Front Ends

Following a successful email campaign about a new rheumatoid arthritis drug by RheumaPharm, analytics indicate a surge in interest from a group of rheumatologists. Ideally, this should prompt immediate, targeted follow-ups by the sales team. However, due to the CRM's lack of integration with marketing data, these engaged physicians are not flagged for the sales team, leading to missed opportunities for follow-up and a disjointed experience for potential prescribers interested in the new treatment.

 

Challenge: Lack of Integration Between Marketing and Sales

The main issue at play is the CRM’s inability to effectively integrate data from marketing campaigns into the sales interface. This gap results in sales reps not being fully aware of, or able to leverage, key insights such as which doctors have shown high interest in email campaigns or attended specific events. Such disconnection can lead to inefficient sales approaches and missed opportunities for deeper engagement.

 

Solution: Enhanced Integration with Gridlex's CRM
 

• Streamlined Marketing-to-Sales Data Flow: Gridlex’s CRM system is designed to ensure seamless flow of information from marketing campaigns directly to the sales team. This integration empowers sales reps with up-to-date insights about physician engagement and interests.
   

• Customized Sales Strategies Based on Integrated Insights: With comprehensive marketing data at their fingertips, sales reps can tailor their strategies and interactions based on detailed insights about physician behavior and preferences, enhancing the effectiveness of their outreach.
   

• Accessible and Actionable Marketing Campaign Data: Gridlex's CRM system simplifies access to marketing data, allowing sales reps to easily understand and act upon the insights derived from various marketing initiatives.
   

• Elimination of Manual Data Management: By automating the integration of marketing and sales data, Gridlex’s CRM eliminates the need for manual data compilation, reducing time spent on data handling and minimizing errors.
   

• Unified and Coherent Sales and Marketing Strategy: This approach ensures a cohesive strategy where marketing efforts are directly reflected and leveraged in sales activities, maximizing the overall impact and effectiveness of both departments.